Never Say Never
by Tomboy13
Summary: Post Starcrossed. A mission to a war stricken planet leads to disaster. Especially once Flash is seperated from the rest of the team and is found in enemy territory.
1. Crash Landing

**DON'T OWN JL.**

Flash sprinted after the thug with practiced ease, dodging his ill-aimed shots and laughing at his poor attempts to run from the fastest man alive. Soon, Flash sped up, growing tired of the chase. He gripped the strap of the stolen purse and gave it a tug, sending the robber crashing to the ground. With a length of rope that he had found in his split second search of the area, Flash tied up the criminal and zoomed back to the spot where the attack had started,

" Here ya go, Ma'am." Flash gave a small bow and handed the purse back to the elderly woman,

" My, my, and you were only gone for a few moments." She gave him a warm smile as he ran off, back to his apartment.

**22222222222222222222222222222**

Flash? Flash! Wally West shot up from his peaceful slumber and rolled onto his stomach,

Whaaaaaaaaaat? His mind answered groggily, due from the rude awakening he had just received,

We are leaving for Aldria in two hours. Lantern is coming to pick you up. Flash turned onto his back and pushed himself out of his bed. The mission to Aldria Prime, how could he forget? That planet was always in a constant war or some sort of natural disaster. The natives were also as strong as they come, the only reason they won last time was because Hawkgirl had—He shook his head, this wasn't a time to focus on how the last time went, Hawkgirl wasn't around to help any more. They would have to find another way to defeat the Northern Aldrians. Wally groaned and stumbled to his closet, looking for his costume. He got changed and walked outside, the sun hadn't even begun to rise and there was a light mist everywhere. The Flash stood in the street, waiting for John to get to his position. Nobody was out this early in the morning and Flash took the time to stretch out. The light Lantern radiated was made stronger by the mist and Flash had to look away as G.L came lower to the ground,

" Hey Wally."

" 'Sup John."

" You ready?" Wally nodded and Jon formed an emerald orb around him and began the journey back to the Watchtower,

" John, why are we leaving so early?" He yawned, " I mean why can't we leave like…mid-afternoon or something?"

" The atmosphere on Aldria is too thick to penetrate during the afternoon, it's thinnest in the morning." Flash sat down in his orb,

" Why do we always answer their calls? Don't you think that South Aldria could handle the rebels by now?"

" The League was set up to protect anyone who asked for it."

" I thought we weren't suppose to turn the tide of wars."

" South Aldria just wants to keep their borders, but North Aldria keeps pushing downwards. We're going to be strictly defensive."

" Uh-huh." They continued to the Watchtower in silence, John using his access code to open the hangar bay. The rest of the team was already sitting in the one of the new Javelins that Batman had designed.

" Hey." Diana smiled at him and slid one seat over, allowing him to sit down and John to continue up the row.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

It was quiet in the Javelin and Flash felt reckless. He didn't like to be in quiet places for too long. It gave him too much time to think and thinking, for him, wasn't all that fun.

" We're approaching the planet Aldria." J'onn informed the team and Flash felt the Javelin descending. The million dollar space ship began lurching forward and started shaking, Flash jerked his head back, in an attempt to look out of the window,

" We're just going through the atmosphere." Batman muttered when he noticed Wally's actions. The shaking began to grow violent and loud blasts echoed outside of the hull.

" We're taking fire." J'onn started to pull the Javelin upwards,

" They shouldn't be firing on us. This is neutral territory."

" Yeah, go ahead and tell them that, Princess." Flash glanced at the monitors and groaned as the ship went into a nose dive.

" The main engine is failing, prepare for emergency landing." J'onn's voice as always remained calmed, and Flash tightened his seatbelt. He prayed that the landing was soft, if they were thrown out, he and Batman would be at a serious disadvantage since nether of them could fly. He could see John's ring glowing, never a good sign when you're hurtling downwards in a 2-ton hunk of metal. Batman was pointing something out to Superman, who nodded and Flash once again felt the ship swerve. A blast hit the ship directly where Wonder Woman was sitting. The hull cracked and freezing cold air began howling through, forcing the crack wider. Diana began gripping the sides of her seats as she felt herself being torn loose by the ferocity of the air. Her shoulder strap started to tear and Flash grabbed her arm,

" You okay, Princess?" He had to yell to make himself heard. Diana grasped Flash's hand and nodded. The wall began ripping apart and chunks of metal began falling to the ground. Batman was yelling something but he couldn't be heard over the weapons blasts or the freezing air or the newly discovered lighting storm. Diana's seat was forced loose and she was sent flying out of the Javelin, her grip yanking Flash along with her. She let go, hoping that her actions would keep Flash in the Javelin. Instead Wally fell away from her and the ship and they both began heading towards the ground, nether flying, due to Diana still being strapped in the chair and the fact that Flash couldn't fly. Flash let out a yell as the forest started to come up at him at a speed that only he could out do. His body hit the first series of branches with crippling blows; he was then sent into a tree trunk as he ungracefully made his way downward. He landed with a crash into a group of brushes and was knocked unconscious.

**2222222222222222222222222222**

Diana's landing was much softer; she had broken free from the straps and had floated down to the sopping-wet ground. The Javelin coming to a bumpy rest a few miles away from her. She quickly flew to the Javelin, she would try to use its locators to find Flash, it was her fault he was thrown out in the first place. Surprisingly the blasts had stopped, indicating that the defense was probably computer operated.

" Diana!" it was Batman; she noted the light green tinge around him, showing that Lantern must've used his ring to soften the landing.

" Where's Flash?" John asked, running up behind the Dark Knight,

" He landed somewhere over there." She pointed to the dense forest, which was barely visible through the downpour. John winced at the thought of the landing.

" We need to check in with Clerig, he might be able to spare some fighters to help us search."

" I rather not wait, it looks like he landed outside of the neutral territory." Batman pulled out a small device and opened a picture of the surrounding area.

" Your friend probably did not survive the fall." The League looked up and found Clerig's second in command smirking at them,

" Piltya." The man was tall and was coated with a thick, scaly armor. He held a sword loosely in his hand and the end was dripping with blood,

" I was watching the entire event, he fell to far to survive and even if he did, Talksh rebels would have killed him by now." His voice carried no sorrow or concern and he never stopped smirking. Batman moved forward,

" We rather check for ourselves." Piltya let out a short laugh,

" And so you will, once the storm ends. Come, Clerig is waiting." Diana pulled on Bruce's arm,

" We cannot leave him out there! He could freeze or rebels could find him—" Lantern moved away from the rest of them,

" I'll go and scan the area, you guys meet with Clerig." Superman moved next to Lantern, he didn't feel like meeting with Clerig at this time. Not when one of the team was missing,

" I'm going too. Keep in contact." J'onn, Batman and Diana all nodded before walking off with Piltya. Lantern and Superman both watched the four disappear into the rain before heading to the forest.


	2. Myth and Myusa

DON'T OWN JL.

Superman was flying high in the air, but not high enough to activate the Talksh defense system,

" I can't see anything through this damn rain." John was floating closer to the ground,

" I know. Let's land and get our bearings." Superman sighed, the first inter planetary mission without Hawkgirl was already a disaster and it hadn't even been a few hours yet. He landed on the ground and nearly slipped, the torrential rain had done a number on some of the plants, but only on a few.

" Look." John was pointing to the broken branches Superman had been eyeing. Without another word they both flew to the first branch and began to work their way down,

" There!" This time Superman pointed out the bushes and they both quickly landed on ether side,

" Flash?" John powered up his ring and used it to comb through the undergrowth,

" Found something." Clark turned and gazed at the small, sliver piece of metal covered with green,

" It's his communicator."

**22222222222222222222222222222**

The halls were tall and seemed to go on for miles, every few steps a torch was present to give light and direction to those who didn't know the area. Batman and J'onn were walking in between Piltya and Diana, who had told the others that if Piltya smirked at her once more they would be finding their own way to Clerig's chamber.

" Wait here, I'll go announce your presence." Piltya shethed his sword and walked in through the golden double doors. The doors slammed shut and Diana narrowed her eyes angrily at them,

" We don't have time for this." She announced,

" We'll make time. John and Clark can take care of the rest." He held her gaze a few moments longer, so she would receive his hidden message.

" Clerig will see you now." A young girl opened one of the doors and beckoned them in. The room was large and fairly warm compared to the halls. Tapestries adorned most of the free space of the walls and in the middle of the room was a large bronze throne, occupied by a middle-aged man, who was wearing a deep green robe. Three seats were placed across from the man and a old wooden table was in between. The table was littered with maps and parchments. Old wine goblets could also be found. Batman's eye was caught by one paper in particular, it looked like an Aldrian newspaper and several of the word he didn't recognize, but the picture was clear enough

WINGED CREATURE SAVES NEARBY KLOTSA. PADU EST LEFT FOR DEAD.

The picture was dark and rough, but Bruce could almost make out the electric mace. It couldn't be her, could it?

" I see that Myusa has caught your attention."

" Myusa?"

" It means Angel of Sorrow. Please sit." With Diana and J'onn both looking at him, the trio took their seats,

" I am sorry to hear about your friend, The Flash." Diana shot Pilyta a nasty glare, which he answered with a smirk. Clerig did not to seem to notice the tension between the two,

" Pilyta, report to sector one. Make sure all of the non- warriors and children are away from the area."

" By your command." The response triggered the same reaction among the Leaguers, each sat up straighter and were now shifting their eyes around.

" The Talksh are supposed to strike there next. But please allow me to make retribution for the loss of your comrade. I did not realize that the Talksh's defense was still active."

" That's alright, there's no need for retribution. We're not sure if he's dead or not."

" But he fell from such a great height—"

" Clerig, you called us here for a reason." Batman tapped one of the maps,

" Oh, yes of course. As you know our boundaries are being forced down, we are losing more and more land each day. We just need some assistance until our support troops come down from one of our most distant territories. They should be here in two of our days." Batman nodded curtly and redirected his finger to point at the article,

" What else can you tell me about this?" Clerig stared at the article and picked up a paper next to it,

" She is called Myusa. Myusa arrived one moon ago and we have yet to get a clear picture of her. Myusa has saved many of our people and has destroyed several of the Talksh's base camps. It is believed that Myusa is the one promised to us by our god, Holjat."

" Promised to you?"

" Holjat is our protector, but in order to protect the entire planet, he must remain in the sky. And to guard the smaller regions, he will send four great warriors. Fuyra to the East, Jilop for the West, Decrek in the North and Myusa to guard the South."

He gazed sadly downward, " I fear that now Myusa has appeared then Decrek will also emerge to battle her." He stood up and walked to the largest tapestry,

" It is foretold that once Myusa appears, she will be joined by others and they will do battle with Decrek and his army. Although it does not state who will win, several will perish on both sides" He sat back in front of the League and laughed heartily

" Of course this is just a myth that the elders still enjoying telling to scare anyone who'll listen. We have long since discontinued such radical beliefs." He smiled at the League,

" I will have scouts escort you and help with your search."

" How did—"

" There are few things that I do not know."

**22222222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash groaned and felt himself being dragged away from his crash site. His feet were bound and he was gagged. The two guys dragging him were making no effort to avoid rocks or other sharp objects. After a few minutes the group stopped and Flash was hauled to his feet, bringing him eye to eye with a warrior from Northern Aldria,

" Who is this?" The question was directed to one of the men holding him,

" He fell from the sky." The man grinned and brought his face closer to Flash's,

" And do you have a name, child?" The gag was removed and Flash was dropped to the ground, pain shot up his body and he slumped over, but still managed to stay seated upright,

" I'm not a child." A guard kicked him in the side and Flash let out a yell,

" You are a male and you are not yet a warrior. Therefore you are a child. Now state your name."

" Flash. Where the hell am I?" The guard pulled his foot back, but the main man held up a hand to stop him,

" So you are not Decrek…hmmm…execute him." Flash sat up straighter,

" WHAT?" A scout came running up, panting hard,

" My lord Isasa, two warriors from the South are searching the area where this one was found. They are coming this way." Isasa growled and grabbed Flash's arm, causing another cry of pain from the younger man. He ripped off one glove from his costume, taking fabric from the elbow then downward. Straightening he tossed the glove to the scout who had just appeared at his side,

" Wait until after the execution, dip that in his blood then leave it for them to find. We will burn the body." Flash was yanked to his feet once more and led to a cluster of trees. The bounds on his feet were cut and retied onto two separate trees, as were his hands. He hissed in pain and realized with a numbing sort of sadness that his ankle was sprained.

" C'mon guys, is this really necessary? What did I do?" Isasa walked forward and held up the glove,

" You are a South Aldria supporter. You will share the same fate we give spies. Death." He snapped his fingers and three guards began training their guns on him.

" On three. One, two, three."

Four blasts rang out through the forest.

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**A/N: THREE GUARDS, FOUR BLASTS…HMMMMMMMMMMMMM**


	3. Piltya's Secret

DON'T OWN JL 

Superman pointed out the smoke that was rising high in the air. Because of the atmosphere the sun never rose in Aldria it always remained ether in a light sort of darkness or pitch-black darkness. Luckily for John and Clark, it was as light as it would get and they would able to see the smoke faintly. They flew down to the scene and swept the area. Three bodies lay dead in a heap in front of a group of trees. Cut ropes and little flickers of blood could be found on some of the branches. Fresh tracks could also be found and judging by the stride and width it looked like someone was running away.

" Lantern." John turned around as Superman held up the glove.

" Damn it."

**22222222222222222222222222**

" Damn it." The woman groaned as she dragged the unconscious body of the Flash to a small cave hidden by a growth of vines. As gently as could she hoisted him up onto a flat pile of rocks, covering him with blanket and putting something like a pillow under his head.

" Easy Wally, just hang on until John can find you, okay?" She pulled back his mask and used a damp washcloth to clean out his cuts. She watched his breathing sadly and cursed herself for being too slow. She had managed to kill two of the guards but not before the third got his shot off. The laser ripped into Wally's chest and for a moment, she thought he was dead.

'And if John doesn't find him soon, he will be.' Wally's bare arm was covered with scratches and bruises. It also looked like his ankle was sprained, not too badly; he could probably still run, just not for a long time. She was shocked when she saw him fall, she had flown as fast as possible to catch him but he was too far away. Talksh guards found him before she could, so she settled to follow them until the time was right. Wally began to stir and she moved back and grabbed some herbs by the mouth of the cave,

" Who…" She sprinkled the herbs over his face, sending him back into a state of unconsciousness,

" Myusa. My name is Myusa."

**2222222222222222222222222222**

" Lantern?" Diana's voice came through over the Comm. Link, " Any luck?"

" No, we found his communicator, so tracking him through that is out."

" J'onn tried reaching to Wally's mind, but there's no trace of it." John stopped the joke before he let it go,

" We did find some sort of camp, one of Flash's gloves and some dead bodies."

" Did he—"

" No, it looks like they were hit with some sort of blunt instrument and after the fall he took, I doubt Wally would be up to lifting anything heavy for a while. How did it go with Clerig?"

" It was alright, we'll be basically a defensive team until support comes, oh… Batman wants you guys to check in every three hours."

" Gotcha."

**2222222222222222222222222**

Myusa paced around her cave and looked outside. Another storm was coming, she could tell and that would hinder the search party. Her main concern now was for Flash, she didn't know what kind of internal damage he had from the fall and those idiots dragging him hadn't helped one bit. In the distance she could see the light of Lantern…John. Furiously she shook her head,

" They have to get here now!" She picked up her weapon and let it activated, her plan was risking but if John didn't get there soon, Flash would die ether way. Gingerly she moved Flash to the mouth of the cave,

" You're going to be okay." She whispered, not knowing if he heard her or not. She walked down the slope and went to a dead tree that had fallen across the dirt path. With a loud yell, she brought her weapon down, the sparks it created, starting a fire. Quickly the tree was engulfed as the flames began spreading to other trees. Without hesitation, she ran back up to Wally and placed a large red blinking light next to him, after securing it to his arm, she flew off. She didn't look back.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

" Superman, look!"

" It's a fire." They both increased their speeds and dropped to the ground, the flames not reaching them due to G.L's shield.

" Who—" Superman held up a hand to silence his comrade, he narrowed his eyes and focused his hearing,

" There!" Through the smoke a figure could be seen and it didn't take a genius to know who owned a yellow and red spandex suit.

" Wally!" Without any thought, John expanded the org to include Flash and Superman moved closer to him,

" He's breathed in too much smoke, we need to get one of the med kits from the Javelin."

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Batman was standing in the rain in front of the castle; he motioned for Lantern and Superman to follow him through the hallways.

" Here." There was a large bed in the room Batman stopped in front of. It was covered with furs and had a few too many pillows.

" Put him there." Batman was already rummaging through his kit and took out a small stethoscope; he listened to Flash's breathing,

" It sounds like he did inhale some smoke, but surprisingly…nothing's broken. The burn on his chest worries me, but it's been cleaned." He pulled back Wally's mask and looked at the cuts,

" These have also been cleaned." He checked the rest of Flash's limbs,

" He's cut up pretty bad and his ankle is sprained. He may have a concussion, a bad one. Do you know if he regained consciousness at all?"

" No, we just found him. We don't know what happened between that time." Batman raised an eyebrow at the blinking light still attached to Wally's bare arm. With a simple twist he pulled the light off and handed it to J'onn,

" Aldrians don't have that kind of technology." The Martian said slowly, turning the object in his hands,

" It's not from Aldria, it's from Earth." Superman informed the others,

" It looks like something Luthor would have. It's emitting a beeping noise, it's low enough so only I can hear it." He grabbed the device in his hands and squeezed it until it cracked.

" That's better." He grinned in relief at the ending of the noise and the fact that Flash should be all right…would be alright.

Diana got up to open the door when a knock reached her ears,

" Piltya." She snarled at the smirking warrior,

" I heard that you found your friend." His smirked drooped as Flash came into his line of view,

' Those idiots were suppose to kill him and draw out Myusa. If you want things done right—'

" I asked you, ' What do you want?'"

" Oh! Clerig would like to know if you require one of his personal healers. That offer is very generous, it is suggested that you agree."

" Batman and J'onn have it covered." Piltya looked slightly off-put, but he did not back down,

" Clerig also wishes to discuss a issue with you four," He pointed to the others, leaving Batman and Flash out of his order,

" Immediately."

" It can not wait?"

" No," Batman nodded and the others began moving out of the room, Piltya however, stayed.

" Shouldn't you go with them?" Batman muttered, his dislike for the man growing with each passing second.

" Shouldn't you?" Batman turned at this strange response, in time for him to see Piltya charge him with his sword drawn.

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

" My lord Clerig, the Justice League wishes to have an audience with you." Puzzled the four Leaguers entered the room,

" How may I assist you my friends? If you are bored with the lack of combat, I could—"

" You didn't send for us?"

" What? No, who would have told you that?"

" Piltya."

" Piltya? I have not seen him since dinner last night." He gazed up at them with a concerned expression,

" Shouldn't you be caring for your friend? Do you need a heal—" He barely finished his sentence before the four ran out of his room. Each of them flying to avoid servants they reached the closed door of the chamber they had left Flash and Batman in. Without breaking the door, Superman pushed it open, adding his gasp with the others. Batman and Flash were nowhere to be seen. They room was empty.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

**A/N: GOOD LORD! WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE IS BATMAN AND FLASH, SURELY HE COULD NOT HAVE LEFT THE ROOM IN HIS INJURED STATE. AND THE LOYAL SECOND IN COMMAND, PILTYA? HAS HE DECIEVED US ALL? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!**

**P/S: SCHOOL SUCKS…WELL FOURTH PERIOD IS FUN…AND I LIKE HISTORY…OK SCHOOL'S NO THAT BAD. I JUST DON'T LIKE HAVING TO WAKE UP AT 5 AM EVERY MORNING!**


	4. Questions

**DON'T OWN JL.**

Batman turned to face Piltya, pulling at the chains that bound him as he did so,

" What are you doing?"

" You and your friends know too much." Batman glared, he knew he could easily escape, but with Piltya pointing a Talksh blaster at Flash, he couldn't risk it. Instead he decided to keep Piltya talking,

" Know too much? What do we know?" Piltya used the blaster to point at Flash,

" He has seen Myusa! How else could he have escaped from fully trained guards under the leadership of Isasa?" Batman let the information sink in before answering,

" How could you know that?" Piltya's face froze; he knew he had been caught in a lie, " Unless you planned for this to happen. How much are the Talksh paying yo—" A blast landed near his knee and Flash's head,

" You forget who is in power here. You forget who defeated you and," He gave Batman a nasty smirk,

" You forget who holds your friend's life in his hands." He narrowed his eyes at Flash as he groaned. Flash rose shakily to a sitting position,

" Bats? What's going on-AHHHHH!!" Piltya stomped one of his heeled boots onto Flash's injured ankle. Batman forced himself to give no reaction as Piltya turned back to him smirking, while the pain the other man had caused forced Flash back into unconsciousness.

**22222222222222222222222222**

" Something wrong?" Superman glanced at J'onn,

" This doesn't make sense. Why did Piltya lie to us? Is he playing both sides?"

" Perhaps I should search him out with my mind." Superman looked up again,

" Can you?"

" There is nothing to suggest that I cannot."

" Go for it."

**222222222222222222222222222**

" The Bat has not seen Myusa, you could release him." Isasa muttered to Piltya.

" I mean sir, that Clerig will know by now who the traitor is." Batman was sitting on his knees next to Flash, listening to the conversation carefully,

' So Piltya is higher up then Isasa.' He glanced down at his companion,

" Wally." He whispered, " Wally!" He had to get the younger man up before anyone else showed up, since Flash wasn't chained, if he got the younger man up they both could escape. Isasa stood up from his chair,

" Killing one of them was fine, but two? The wrath of Myusa—"

" MYUSA IS A FAKE! THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING THIS!" Piltya took a moment to calm himself, he brought his face closer to Isasa's and whispered,

" Decrek has yet to appear. That means this so called Myusa is a imposter. There is even talk that she is an alien."

Isasa pulled his head away in surprise,

" That cannot be true, Piltya."

" It is. And we will draw out this imposter and kill her, proving to Clerig and his merry band of fools that everything they believe, including their savior, is a farce." Isasa still seemed unnerved,

" Perhaps there is another way to draw Myusa out. I mean she came to that one's defense already, maybe we should let him go, he's just a child after all." Piltya had a dangerous smirk on his face,

" Along with the other one yes? We should let them both go?" His tone was even,

" No, sir, it's just that the child—"

" I am not a child!" Batman couldn't have silenced him if he had wanted to,

" What did you say, whelp?" Piltya turned on the two,

" What's a whelp?" Piltya moved to a far wall of the supposed dungeon, grabbing a thick woven whip he moved back to face Flash,

" How did you summon Myusa?" He asked, unraveling the whip as he did so,

" Ask him," Flash nodded to Isasa, " He was there."

" Yes, he was, but I asked you. How did you summon Myusa?" Flash pulled himself into a sitting position, his back leaning on the wall. Batman was still kneeling next to him, his back to Isasa.

" I don't know. I don't even know why she helped me." Piltya struck out with the whip and Bruce threw himself in the whip's path.

" Batman!" Since Flash was not chained, he was able to ease Bruce back down. Piltya laughed,

" Now I see why Clerig favors your League so. You have the same foolish sense of honor as he does." Flash had stopped paying attention to the former second in command, but Batman had not, he believed he could still weasel some information out of him,

" How do you plan to draw out Myusa if we're stuck in this dungeon."

" If we take you outside, you will attempt to contact your friends. You will tell us how to summon Myusa, then we will test out your theory." The whip came out again and this time, Flash pushed Batman away from it, the whip catching him in the chest exactly where his burn was.

" Damn!" He hissed, bringing a hand instinctively to his chest.

" You will tell me and you will tell me now." Piltya smirked and pulled the whip back again,

" Or we have all day to find out the hard way."

**WELL THERE YA GO.**


	5. Escape

DON'T OWN JL. NOT SURE WHO DOES EXACTLY BUT IT AIN'T ME. IF I DID FLASH WOULD HAVE AN ACTUAL ROLE IN JLU!

Myusa sat in her newly chosen cave and sighed, she had saved Flash's life but now she had Piltya to deal with. She raised on hand and extended her forefinger, allowing a small blue bird to sit on it,

" What?" The bird turned and repeated its message, which to any normal person would have sounded like chirping,

" Piltya has betrayed Lord Clerig. He is the Talksh spy." She responded with her own variety of chirps,

" What about Flash? Is he okay?"

" I do not know. But the one who resembles a bat was with him when I came back." She smiled at him,

" Go back and check up on Flash for me, okay?"

" Shall I check on the other one as well?"

" If it's not a bother." The bird seemed to give her a cheeky wink,

" 'Course not Myusa."

**222222222222222222222222222**

Flash ducked under the punch and brought his fist at a fast pace into Isasa's kidney. The older man grunted and closed his hands in a double fist over his head. With a snarl he slammed the joined weapon down onto Flash's back. The Speedster cried out and crashed onto the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head,

" Enough, Isasa." Piltya held up his hand and smirked, " Ready to talk, child?" Flash groaned and curled into a ball. Batman eyed his utility belt that was hanging on a hook a good five feet away from him, if he could just get it back. For now he needed to focus on keeping both of them alive. Piltya had used the whip a fair few times and both he and Flash would be sore in the morning. When Wally could still not explain why Myusa saved him, Isasa had moved forward to beat the answers out of him, what he didn't expect was that Flash would fight back. The younger man had even gotten a few descent hits in,

" Killing him won't get you your answers." He told Piltya in a hushed tone, when the man had walked back over to him,

" I could kill you."

" Could you? Look at Isasa," He motioned to the two younger men who had begun fighting again, " He's young, eager, ambitious. What's stopping him from killing Myusa _and_ you? Then, he could easily take the credit for himself." Piltya pretended not to hear Batman; instead he focused on the two combatants, but Batman would not be put off,

" Look at him. He's strong, a well-trained fighter, and he's already a high ranking leader in the Talksh army." Piltya's eye twitched and he stepped in between Isasa and Flash, who looked grateful for the rest,

" What do you think you're doing Isasa?" Isasa wiped some sweat away in anger,

" Trying to find out how to summon Myusa, sir."

" Oh, so you can report it in before me and take all my credit?" Isasa stepped back,

" What? No, where would you get that idea?"

" Don't lie to me!"

" I'm not lying! What are you? Crazy?" It was plain to see that Isasa knew he had said the wrong thing; he held up his hands and began stammering,

" P-il-tya, I did not, I mean, that is—" He never finished his last sentence; Piltya had grabbed his blaster from the holster and sent the beam into Isasa's stomach. Piltya stood over the dead body as Flash looked on in horror,

" Flash!" Batman whispered as loud as he could without jolting Piltya out of the shock he was now in. Flash looked towards Batman, who used his head to point out his belt. Quietly Wally rose to his feet, his ankle shaking under the weight and began moving towards the belt. Inch by inch, Flash realized that his breathing was growing louder. He grabbed the belt as Piltya snapped out of his revere and turned to face him. Without any warning Piltya charged and Flash chucked the belt at Batman, which landed by his knees. Piltya ran at Flash, who caught the man's wrist and pulled him down with him. Flash rolled on his back and used his good leg to push Piltya up and away from him. The older man sailed into the stone wall and Flash quickly got to his feet, preparing for the next attack.

Piltya's eyes were glazed over in anger and he brought the blaster back up, sending several shots at Flash while advancing towards him,

" Anytime Bats." Flash muttered as the enraged lunatic threw the now empty blaster at him. With the whip on the other side of the room, Piltya began using hand-to-hand combat, and Flash was forced back by the fury and speed of the man,

" I will find Myusa, with or without you!" He snarled, spit flying out of his mouth. Flash took another step back and tripped over Isasa's body. He fell back with a yelp and gazed up, there was no way he could block the attacks now.

Piltya stood over him, panting, his eyes gleaming, and his face covered with the craziest smirk he had ever seen,

" You should have told me when you had the chance, boy!" He pulled back his fist and stopped. His eyes widened and he fell limp onto the ground, Batman standing behind him with a batarang. He held out a hand and helped Flash to the chair so he could wrap his ankle.

" You sure took your time."

" Your welcome." He grabbed some wraps from one of the compartments in his belt and bent down to look at the ankle,

" You shouldn't have used your ankle so much."

" Why didn't you tell me that sooner? I could've explained the situation to Piltya and this all could've been settled with arm wrestling." Wally snapped back sarcastically, Batman didn't reply instead he stood up and grabbed a communicator from his belt,

" Superman?"

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash leaned lightly against Batman as they walked through the growingly dense forest. It had taken almost an hour to find a way out of the dungeon, now they were lost in the forest and they had no idea where to tell Superman and the others to look.

" What if we're still in Talksh territory?" Flash pushed off Batman and went to lean on a large pine tree,

" I mean it Bruce, they have little camps everywhere. For all we know we could be heading right for one!"

" Then what do you suggest we do?"

" Dunno. You got any flares?"

" Two. But they're not the ones you can shoot up in the air."

" We can contact Supes, tell him to look for the flare and toss it into the air." Batman stared at Flash,

" How do you suggest we get it that high, _without _alerting the Talksh troops?"

" At least I'm tryin'! Instead of going around—"

" AHEM!" The two glanced up into the trees and found a young woman sitting in them. She had long black hair and her wings were pure white, like an angel's, she was wearing body armor that covered her upper body like a tank top. The armor was blood red and so was the short leather skirt, which had black strips running down the side. She had knee high boots on and attached to a strap was a metal rod. Her mask had to be the most distinguishing feature; it covered her face completely, leaving the only opening for her hair. It looked like Morgan Le Faye's mask, with the red lips already molded on and the eyes were dark and shiny. The back of the mask was in layers, giving the back of her head a spiky sort of look. On her shoulder rested a little blue bird, who was chirping non stop,

" What are you doing in my woods?" She asked her voice sounding like a bird's song,

" Myusa?" The woman turned her gaze onto Flash and she jumped down from the branch and landed next to Batman,

" Yes. I thought I left you in the care of the Green Lantern of Earth." For some reason Flash was getting the distinct impression that he should not flirt with this woman, the same kind of feeling he got after working with Hawkgirl for so long,

" You did, but Piltya went nuts and well," He pointed to the bruises and red whip marks on both Batman and himself,

" Here we are……can you take us back to Clerig's castle?" Batman was analyzing Myusa, after working with him for years, Flash could easily see that, but for some reason so did Myusa,

" I'd kindly ask you to stop staring, Bat." She snapped, realizing that she couldn't afford Batman to figure it all out now,

" I'll go and lead your friends to you. You just stay off your ankle and relax." She flew off.

" Can we trust her?"

" She saved my life before."

" Luthor saved our lives before too."

" Luthor doesn't count." Flash sat down on the ground and stretched out his legs, and tenderly checked his burns and whip marks,

" God, these sting." He had barely finished the sentence before Batman placed a hand on his forehead. He could feel the heat through his glove,

" You have a fever."

" What? I do not." Flash spluttered, he didn't even know why he was denying it. Batman reached into his belt and took out three pills, handing two to Flash and swallowing the rest himself,

" That dungeon was damp and infested, and with our open wounds there's a good chance we'll both get worse if we don't contain this now." He explained after Flash had swallowed his pills.

" Yippee." The little blue bird flew down and landed next to Batman, his features were strangely human. Flash laughed,

" Looks like you got yourself a new friend, Bats." The bird was chirping wildly, in what seemed to be laughter, Flash moved down further on the tree and closed his eyes,

" Wanna take first watch?" He asked, already half asleep. He heard Batman going through his belt again and felt a emergency blanket being tossed over him.

" That belt has 'rything." As sleep over came him, he realized Batman had slipped him a sleep pill along with the medicine,

' Sly, old bastard.'


	6. Discovery

**OH I DON'T OWN JL AND THE LITTLE BIT WITH WHO U CALLIN' NOTHIN' IS A JOKE FROM THE VERY FUNNY DOM I. THAT'S HIS MATERIAL AND I BOW TO HIS AMAZING COMEDY SET!!**

Lantern walked down the dirt path, waiting for some sign of where to go next. What he couldn't have realized was that his sign would have wings. He held up his ring,

" Hold it right there." She landed in front of him and held up her hands,

" I'm not here to fight. I am Myusa. I am here to help you find your friends, John." Lantern lowered his hand,

" How did you know my name?" He asked, eyeing her features, which seemed familiar to him somehow,

" Oh…Flash told me. He told me to find John." John raised an eyebrow, not buying her story,

" Then how did you know I was John?" Myusa shifted nervously,

" Well Flash said that you would be wearing green." She answered, placing her hands on her hips. He studied her actions for a moment, they seemed so familiar,

" What are you staring at?" She snapped,

" Wha—Oh, nothing."

" Who you callin' nothin'?"

" Nobody."

" Oh, so I'm a nobody now?" He sighed and shook his head. He couldn't win…just like when he fought with _her. _

" You said you knew where my friends were?"

" Flash and Batman. Yes."

" How do I know if you're telling the truth?" She rose into the air,

" You don't." She began flying away, minutes later John was following.

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash, shivered and pulled his bare arm underneath the blanket. Batman was analyzing some plant while the blue bird sat about watching them. Batman kept glancing over his shoulder, as if expecting someone to come up from behind. True, he did not kill Piltya, so there was a chance of the man coming back for them, but for some reason this threat felt different. He couldn't figure it out and that's what made him uneasy. Sitting down across from Flash, Batman felt his eyes drooping. Quickly he shook his head, he couldn't fall asleep…not yet…

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

" Would you slow down?" John growled, Myusa glanced back and landed on the ground,

" Do you want to find your friends or what?"

" Of course I want to find to find them!"

" Well then what's the problem? We're wasting time."

" Listen, I don't live here, I don't know the territory, and for all I know _you _could be leading me into a trap!" Myusa looked somewhat taken aback, although John couldn't be sure with her mask on.

" Don't you trust anyone?"

" No one."

" Not even your teammates?" She looked at him curiously,

" A few of them."

" Only a few, did you have a fight with one of them?"

" You could say that."

" Who?"

" That's none of your business." She shrugged and turned around. A blast emerged from the trees and sent her sprawling back. Instantly Lantern ran next to her and put up a shield, rendering the other blasts useless. Myusa's mask had been chipped and cracked in several places. John kept up his shield and used his other hand to lift up her head; black coloring was running out of her hair and dripping on his hand, revealing a reddish brown. Her left eye cover was gone and she was looking up at him with frightened eyes. Frightened _green _eyes,

" _Shayera??_"

**WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,**

**MAN, I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING! BOY HOWDY! WHOA DID THAT SURPRISE ANY ONE ELSE? GOOD LORD! I WONDER WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, NO REALLY… **

**IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OR ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS…LET ME KNOW, IF IT'S RESONABILE I'LL ADD IT!!**


	7. Translations

**SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTERS. SCHOOL HAS BEEN SUCKING THE ENERGY AND IMAGINATION OUTTA ME………………………………………………SIGH**

" Pilyta, sir? Are you injured?" Piltya growled at the young soldier and shoved him out of the way,

" Call Master Raytal, tell him I must see him now!" He pushed the man further and continued down the hall. Piltya was royally pissed, now that he had revealed himself he couldn't go back to Clerig's castle and to make things worse his only tid-bits of information were gone.

' I should've killed them when I had the chance!' Now he would have to make up an excuse for Isasa's death that Raytal would buy.

' Batman snuck up on me while Flash killed Isasa…oh yes, sir, he was a good soldier…' He opened the door to his room, continuing to role-play the conversation in his mind.

**22222222222222222222222222222222222222**

" Flash…" Batman shook Wally awake for the third time during the wait for Myusa in the forest. Wally pushed him away sleepily and coughed,

" How many sleepin' pills did ya give me?"

" One, mixed with two aspirins. It should be out of your system by now." Flash coughed again and took a swipe at the forming drizzle,

" Does it rain non-stop here or what?" Flash got to his feet and walked a few steps until he came across a root and fell onto his face. With practice ease Batman held in his laugh, before long he realized that Flash wasn't going to get up. He dropped down next to him and turned Flash on his back, heat was radiating from his body despite the cold climate and his breathing was shallow.

" Wally?" He gave him a small shake and pulled back his mask to check his pupils,

" Bruce…ya got anymore aspirin?" Batman nodded and pulled out four pills, giving them to Flash, who turned his mouth in distrust,

" Its just aspirin."

Within minutes Flash was asleep again and Batman stood up and went back for the blanket, placing it back on Wally he sat down again, growling in annoyance when the blue bird landed on his knee. He sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper from his belt and read through it.

He could not stop his light gasp as he went through the letters, which in Aldrian, spelled Myusa but in English, spelled Shayera.

' There's no way.' Quickly he began to translate the other names, the first two came out relatively the same but the last one nearly gave him a heart attack.

The English word Decrek was Darksied.

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

John had easily finished off the guards who had attack them. Now he stood face to face with _her. _Shayera Hol aka Hawkgirl aka former member of the Justice League aka his lover. She was kneeling next to a river, washing out the dye from her hair and wings, the mask had already been discarded. She turned to face him, although she didn't meet his eyes,

" What are you doing here?" He spoke first, still in shock from this new revelation,

" I came here to help, I remembered that we were always helping out the Aldrians."

" I thought you didn't want the fate of the world on your shoulders anymore."

" It's not…I'm just…" She bit her lip and fiddled with her leather skirt, " John, I—"

" I don't—"

" Lantern." John cursed his comm. Piece and turned away from Shayera to answer,

" What?"

" Listen, we ran into Myusa who said she would go find one of you, it's been a few hours and Flash isn't doing well…also.."

" Yeah?"

" The translations for Myusa and Decrek. They mean Sh—"

" Batman?" John turned to face Shayera once more,

" Where are they?"

" I'll show you." She took a small jog and leapt into the air.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Batman tugged Flash underneath the bush and waited. He had to get a message to Superman, if that ship did belong to Darksied then they were in deep and the way his auto drones were sweeping the forest, they wouldn't stay hidden for long.

He didn't realize how far in the Talksh territory they were until he saw troops come out of the forest and greet Darksied,

" Hail Lord Darksied, you have come at last!" One bowed and the other held up a letter to the mass murderer,

" Our Lord Raytal has agreed to your requests. All materials you need will be given to you and once we have defeated the South, you will receive have of the lands and all the warriors you request." Darksied smiled and glanced over at the bushes,

" Bring them to me." Batman cursed Myusa before a sharp shock sent him into oblivion.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

**THINGS ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR BATMAN AND FLASH! AND FLASH IS SICK AND DEFENSELESS!! AWWW…I'LL SAVE YOU FLASHIE!!**

**I'M NOT SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN THE ALDIRAN LANGUAGE BUT IT'S KINDA LIKE CHINESE OR JAPENESE, YA KNOW WITH LIKE ONE SYMBOL BEING LIKE A SENTENCE OR A BUNCH OF SYMBOLS BEING A WORD…KINDA LIKE THAT, I GUESS.**

**THANKS TO JILL AND CRHBLACK FOR CHAPTER IDEAS…I LIKED 'EM.**

**PREPARE FOR A SUPERMAN VS. DARKSIED THING!!**


	8. Darksied

AHH, THE JOYS OF SCHOOL…HOMEWORK…DENTENTION…I'VE GOTTEN THREE DENTENTIONS ALREADY…GAHHHH!

**I DON'T OWN JL, CUZ IF I DID…WELL………I WOULD KEEP THE CORE SEVEN AND JUST HAVE GUEST STARS…LOVE GREEN ARROW AND SUPERGIRL THOUGH!**

" I don't get it. I left them here." Shayera looked over at John, who was checking the undergrowth for any traces for the two missing teammates,

" Lantern." John put a hand to his comm. Piece,

" Go ahead."

" Get back to Clerig's castle…we have a situation."

" We haven't found Flash or Batman yet."

" 'We'? Listen, you and your friend get back here. The Talksh have a new ally."

"Who?"

" They're calling him Decrek. You have to hurry."

" Understood. I'm on my way." He turned and nodded towards Shayera,

" You coming?"

" Am I welcomed?"

" We're going to need your help." She still looked uncertain but she followed John back to Clerig's castle.

**2222222222222222222222222222222222**

Superman let his jaw drop at the sight that was flying behind John; beside him he heard Diana growl while J'onn kept silent.

John landed in front of them and held up his hands,

" Guys—" Diana stepped around Superman and pointed an accusing finger at the Thanagarin,

" What is she doing here?"

" She's here to help." Diana shook her head,

" We don't need her help. We never did."

" That's enough, Diana." John stepped in front of her, " Bruce and Wally are still M.I.A and we don't know anything about the Talksh's new ally. We're going to need all the help we can get."

J'onn looked at Shayera, " You were the one posing as Myusa, correct?"

" I was." J'onn gave her a small smile,

" It is good to see you again, Hawkgirl."

" Please, just call me Shayera." Superman stepped forward,

" John's right. You may be able to help us, but that doesn't change anything." She nodded.

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

Darksied smiled at his prisoner. Kal-El would soon fall and after him, this worthless planet.

" I am glad to see you are finally up." He laughed at Batman, who was searching around him, " Your friend is on another level. He will be brought up shortly." He stood up from his chair and walked around Batman,

" Tell me, did Kal-El travel to this planet with you?" Batman looked straight ahead. He was in a foul mood, being captured would do that to him, but being captured twice. Hell hath no fury like a captured Batman.

" He did." Was all he could ground out.

" Good, then this planet isn't such a waste after all."  
" Why are you here? I doubt you're going to keep your end of the bargain."

" You're right. And once I establish a base on this planet, I'll be able to conquer Earth with ease. You see this is the closest planet to Earth with a sentient race."

" Why do you need a base? You have the boom tubes."

" Boom tubes are very useful, but with a nearby base I can attack Earth from every available direction." He smiled again and walked over to a large table, which was littered with Batman's gear and comm. Link. He picked it up and turned back to Batman,

" Call Kal-El."

" No."

" Fine. You are not the only one who can." Batman reached out for the device and turned it on,

" Superman?"

" Batman, where the hell are you guys? Shayera said—"

" Shayera?"

" Hawkgirl was the one who was playing Myusa." So his translations had both been correct,

" The Talksh have a new ally, Decrek."

" I know. Flash and I are in his ship. And the word isn't Decrek it's Darksied." The device was yanked out of his hand and Darksied continued where Batman had left off,

" Kal-El, it's been awhile."

" Darksied!" The words dripped with hatred, " Where are you hiding?"

" I'm not hiding, Kal-El, I am deep within the forest, waiting for you."

" Where's Batman and Flash?"

" Batman is right here and the other one is resting on another level of my ship. Hopefully you can find me before I am forced to get rid of them."

" Coward!" Darksied laughed,

" You should've killed me when you had the chance." Batman knew what he meant,

_" You know what, Bruce? You're not always right." _

Bruce had saved Clark's life before the Man of Steel had a chance to finish off Darksied. That incident had caused a rift between the two heroes, but Bruce had made his decision and he stuck by it.

" I will see you in due time Kal-El. Don't worry." He squeezed the device in between his fingers and crushed it, cutting off Superman's voice. Darksied laughed again and placed a large metallic collar around Batman's neck,

" That will prevent the Martian from finding you." He turned back to his chair and snapped his fingers, instantly two Talksh guards came and grabbed Batman by the arms,

" Put him in the cell by his friend."

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Superman crushed the eight-foot tree he had been standing next to with a yell,

" Superman?" J'onn flew away from the others and landed next to the enraged kryptonian,

" I should've killed him. I let Bruce stop me…now he's going to kill him and Flash."

" So Darksied has indeed captured them."

" Yes, and if we don't find him soon…"

" Superman, you must not let your anger cloud your judgment."

" I know how to handle Darksied."

" Do you?" It was a low blow but he had to get Superman to realize what his rashness could cause them,

" What do you mean? You don't think I can handle him?" Superman turned to face J'onn, his fists clenched,

" Your past history with him…you react different to him then your other enemies…even Luthor."

" Darksied is pure evil. Not even Lex is that bad."

" Batman was right to pull you away when he did. You would have destroyed much more then Darksied."

" What?"

" It is an ideal that many of us have to live up to. Sometimes the only thing that separates us from the villains is the fact we do not resort to killing."

" And the problem with that is that the villains don't."

" The only time you see that as a problem is when Darksied is involved."

" I don't need a lecture right now." J'onn placed a hand on Clark's shoulder,

" You cannot rush into this. You are the only one who can stand against Darksied in one on one combat."

" I know."

**222222222222222222222222222222222**

Batman was tossed into the cell. It was small room with a bunk attached to the far wall, and on the walls that divided the other cells, were low windows, made up of the same material as the cell door. From his left window he could see Flash, who had been placed on his bunk. As the guards left, Batman lowered himself and began tapping on the window. Flash shifted once and turned on his shoulder, rotating again we he landed on a cut. Batman hit the glass harder and Flash shot up and looked around the room. Finally spotting Bruce, he sat down in front of the window. His face was flushed and it looked like he was cold.

' This is his first time to Aldira, maybe his body is reacting adversely to something in the air.'

Flash's mouth was moving, but Batman couldn't hear anything he was saying. He paused for a moment and realized that the cells completely shut them off from sound. Flash was tapping on his window and pointing back to his bunk, Bruce nodded and watched Flash hobble back to his bunk.

" You better show up soon, Clark." Batman muttered to himself before getting up to sit on his own bunk.

**22222222222222222222222222222222222222**

**ccabello- yes it was a good chapter, huh? Just kidding! **

**Dacker Spaniel- Go ahead ask questions…they make reviews fun! I cannot say what will happen to BM and Flash but hey, it's Darksied **

**Jill- I really liked your suggestions! Keep 'em coming!**

**QK- If Eriso doesn't stay away from my Flash…I cannot be held responsible for my actions!**

**Dreamcatcher89- I haven't seen the Return yet, grrr…now I'm mad!**

**Angelic Temptress- Glad you liked the chapter!**


	9. Diana, Shay, John

**I DON'T OWN JL.**

Superman sat in the room that Clerig had offered to them. Around him Lantern and J'onn were both sleeping, if you could call what J'onn did sleep. He felt himself growing even more tired as the minutes ticked by. He hadn't slept for at least two days and only Batman could go any longer without sleep. He closed his eyes and vaguely wondered how Shayera and Diana were holding up in their room. John had suggested that each lady should receive her own room, but when a group of injured soldiers limped into the hall, Clerig had given them the last available room. He checked the tracker that was beeping quietly; it still hadn't found Darksied's ship. Clark pulled up at a blanket and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

**222222222222222222222222222**

" Would you just listen to me?" Shayera shouted,

" You have nothing to say that I have already heard." Hawkgirl was standing on the far side of the room, near the door, while Diana was next to the window.

" Diana—"

" You are a traitor! Do you not realize that? You say you didn't know what Talak was planning, but if you didn't why did you let them imprison us?"

" I thought you were trying to stop us from building the shield!"

" Why would we try to stop you if you were really helping us?" Shayera froze. She hadn't considered that possibility. Everything had moved so fast when she saw her warriors attacking her friends.

" I…I never thought of it like that." The Amazon snorted,

" That's obvious. Do you know what every one went through in that prison? Our weakness' were exploited…because of YOU!" The last words exploded from Diana's mouth with such a fury that Shayera took a step back,

" I know. And nothing I do can change that. Please, after we find Batman and Flash…I'll leave and never come back."

Diana turned her back on the Winged Warrior, " Good."

Diana still kept her back turned as she listened to the door of the room open and close. With a sigh she sat down onto her bed and began to cry. She had been planning on what she would say to Hawkgirl if she ever saw her again and now that the scenario finally came into play, she realized how wrong she had been to treat Shayera like she did. Wally was right; she had been in the ultimate no win situation. And she couldn't change that fact no matter how much she wished she could.

**222222222222222222222222222**

Shayera's eyes were filled with tears. Diana was right and she knew that. She walked alone in the torch lit halls, sniffing as quietly as possible, so she wouldn't disturb anyone else.

" Shay?" She whirled around and found herself face to face with John, " What's wrong?"

" Nothing. I'm fine. I didn't wake you did I?" He shrugged, then shook his head,

" No." He stooped quickly and placed his hand on hers and led her away from the hallway. He turned down another hallway and opened a small wooden door. She followed him inside and gazed around the room. The only light was from a steel chandler that was covered with candles. In the middle of the room was a round wooden table and at least four chairs. He sat down in one and she took the one across from him.

" John—"

" Shay let me start. First off, I don't know what Diana said but her feelings do not reflect everyone else's, ok?"

" I know John."

" Shay…what happened after you left?"

" Many things. I couldn't stay on Earth, so I traveled to a nearby planet. They had heard of the invasion and chased me away. I had no choice but to come back to Earth, but with everyone cursing my name, I couldn't come back as Hawkgirl. I reshaped my old mask and dyed my wings and hair. I even gave up my mace for one of Parran's electricity sticks…you know the one she used on J'onn…of course that didn't last long and with the help of an old friend I found a place here."

" Old friend?"

" Dr. Fate. He transported me here and told me that I would be recognized as Myusa."

Shayera placed her hands on the table and sniffed loudly. John moved two seats over and placed an arm on her shoulder,

" I've missed you." She nuzzled his neck,

" I've missed you too."

" You're probably the only one." She gave her joke a half-hearted laugh and John brought his other arm and pulled her into a hug,

" Not true. Wally missed you like crazy…he couldn't eat for two days." Shayera laughed a little louder at John's joke, but her tears still kept falling. John shifted and locked gazes with her,

" You know when you left you never let me finish my sentence." She stared at him, somewhat puzzled.

He leaned in a brought his lips closer to her own,

" I love you, Shayera." As though a great weight had been lifted from her, Shayera leaned into John's kiss, murmuring,

" I love you too."

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**FOR ALL OF YOU GL/HG FANS……THERE YA GO!! HUGS AND SMILES ALL AROUND**

**BE SURE TO REIVEW!!!!!**


	10. Death or Lies

**DON'T OWN JL.**

Batman was roused from his slumber by the stiffness the collar had caused. The lights in the cell were dimmed to help the prisoners sleep or to be a scare tactic. Batman didn't know which. He gave the collar another pull in a fruitless attempt to ease the tight grip on his neck. He noted earlier that Flash was wearing a similar collar; hopefully it wouldn't affect the younger man's breathing too much. Batman got up slowly and began to do a sweep of the cell, looking for any possible design flaws or openings he could use. Nothing jumped out at him; Darksied's designs were almost Bat proof.

He walked the length of the cell once more, normally he wouldn't stir at all but with no way of knowing what was going on, he felt a little more than restless. He went back to the window and sat down so he could see through it. The bed Flash had been sleeping in was empty and Batman felt his anxiety rise a few notches. To any passer by it would look like Batman was completely calm and relaxed when, in reality, he was growing more concerned each second. He knew that Flash was sick, possibly from the planet itself, he also had open wounds that had been exposed to who knows what down in the dungeons. And now, stuck aboard a mad tyrants ship, he had no idea what was happening to his friend or what would happen to him. If there was one thing Batman hated, it was not being in total control of a situation and this definitely counted as not being in control.

The lights slowly became brighter and Bruce rose to his feet. A guard was outside of the cell door, tapping a few keys and muttering something to the other guard behind him. He pushed the final key and Batman felt himself being pulled to the ground. He hit the floor with a thud and found himself unable to get up again. One guard walked in and bound his hands, while the other one held his gun at him,

" Start walking." The first guard gave him a sharp shove in the back and the three began walking down the hall.

Darksied did not get up from his chair when Batman was pushed in the room. He remained seated as the Dark Knight was shoved down on his knees in front of him.

" Kal-El is searching for you." He began in an almost friendly tone.

" I figured that." He expected a blow even before he answered. Surprisingly it did not come.

" Your friend was very ill."

" Why do you—" Batman stopped,

' Was? What does he mean by that?' He narrowed his eyes and Darksied gave a small chuckle.

" Very ill indeed." Darksied was messing with him. It was the same sort of tactic he used on Clark, who had no patience for that sort of psychological warfare.

" I noticed." Was the only answer he would give. He needed to by more time to figure out what Darksied wanted.

" It was a shame."

" What was?"

" They fact that he died before I had the chance to talk with him." Whatever Batman had been expecting, that was not it.

His jaw dropped an inch before he caught it and his back stiffened.

" What?"

" Whatever was affecting him, killed him." Darksied answered. Batman unconsciously shook his head.

" Don't believe me? You would have heard him if the cells weren't sound proof. He vomited blood until there was nothing left, then he shuddered and fell to the ground. I have the security footage, if you want to make sure." This time he stood up and smiled widely.

" He was delirious near the end. He called for anyone to help him…Kal-El, Shay, John, Diana, J'onn…you. But when nobody came, he believed he was abandoned. Humans are very odd, the seek companionship when they know they are going to die and they desperately want to hold onto life. He died alone and in pain, calling for those who would never come."

Darksied laughed, a long chilling laugh. This man, no, this thing was pure darkness. He was someone that could talk about death with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Caring for nothing beyond his selfish goals.

Batman said nothing, his face was blank and his eyes were expressionless.

" Don't you feel sorrow for your friend's death?" Batman looked away, wishing that anything would happen to get Darksied's attention away from him.

Flash was dead. Batman wasn't sure if he could take the tyrant's word on it, but Wally had been sick, he just didn't know the extent of it. And what if he was? How would he tell the others? They had each dealt with loss in their own respective ways and some took things harder then others. This was just too much to handle at the moment, Shayera was back but now they had lost Wally. Was that a fair trade off? Bruce was sure that this wouldn't split the team, not even Superman's death could do that. But Superman had never acted as the conscience of the team. He was the founder and leader, but Flash was the reminder. He still held the same values they had started with and he reminded them that they were still human, more or less, and they all were allowed to make mistakes. Flash was never idealistic, but he could see the different points of view to a fight that the older superheroes often missed. He couldn't be gone. Darksied was lying.

" What did you do with the body?" Batman asked hoping he could catch Darksied in the lie,

" It's out in the forest."

" Why?"

" There is no morgue in my ship." Batman paused his questions. He still couldn't tell if Darksied was lying or not.

" You have the tapes?"

" I was planning on giving them to Kal-El. Do you wish to see them?" Batman had hoped that Darksied would've made up an excuse not to show him the tape, that was the easiest way to spot a lie. Denial.

Darksied had not contradicted himself on anything, he didn't refuse Batman's request and he described Flash's death with a descent amount of detail.

Was he telling the truth? Was Flash really dead?

" Take him back to his cell."

**2222222222222222222222222**

**MY GOODNESS! WHAT IS GOING ON? FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH**

**IS DARKSIED TELLING THE TRUTH…THEN AGAIN WHY WOULD HE LIE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?**


	11. Painfilled Truth

I LOVED ALL THE REVIEWS…NOBODY WAS SURE IF I HAD ACTUALLY KILLED FLASH OFF OR NOT…WELL THIS CHAPTER SHOULD TELL YA…

**DON'T OWN JL…**

Superman shut the door as quietly as possible. Lantern had already left the room, but J'onn was still 'sleeping'. The tracker had found a large object somewhere North of the castle and Clark was determined to find it. He walked quickly to the main doors and stepped outside. Instead of the usual light drizzle, rain was pouring down and lighting was striking everywhere. Just like when they had first arrived. He lifted off from the ground, checking the tracker and heading in the direction it indicated.

**22222222222222222222222**

The ground came up to meet Bruce at a very fast rate. He was thankful that the rain had softened the normally rock hard soil.

" Kal-El is coming." Darksied smiled at the thought fighting his greatest adversary. Batman was still lying on the ground, not bothering to get up. Darksied tilted his head at the blue and red blur that whooshed through several of the trees.

" Greetings, Kal-El."

" Darksied." Superman exited the trees and flew into the clearing, giving Batman only a side-glance. Without warning he shot lasers from his eyes and melted the collar and cuffs from Batman,

" Get out of here."

" Superman—"

" GET OUT!" Superman shouted at him without taking his eyes off Darksied. Batman stood up and began walking away, half expecting Omega beams to shoot him down. Clark remained silent until he was sure Bruce had gone. Satisfied that one was safe, Clark turned his attention to the next prisoner.

" Where is Flash?" He asked quietly when he realized that Wally was nowhere in the clearing,

" Flash is dead." Superman gasped and flew a little closer to Darksied,

" You killed him?" He asked, his eyes glowing red.

" Unfortunately, that pleasure was not mine. He died of an unknown illness." Darksied laughed and Superman flew straight for him, punching him squarely in the jaw. He staggered back and then lurched forward. Each began trading blows, with Darksied kicking Superman in the face,

" I now have steel toes, thanks to your lasers." He added as he watched Clark attempting to recover from the assault. He focused his eyes on Superman and fired a set of Omega beams at him. Clark shook off the first one without much effort; he returned the attack with his own set of beams.

**2222222222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash groaned and opened his eyes. It took longer then normal for him to focus, but his hearing was still sharp. Off in the distance he could hear the sounds of a battle. He got to his feet, aided by the large tree next to him. The ground continued to rotate and Flash turned his head and vomited. He could make out the specks of blood through his glazed vision. His face was still flushed and his temperature was still rising. His head was swimming as he hobbled towards the sounds of fighting,

' Please let someone be there.' He gave little thought to how he got off Darksied's ship. The overlord probably thought he had died after he had tossed up a pint of blood and collapsed last night.

' Is Bats fighting someone? What happened to Myusa?' He kept on walking, unable to focus his speed in his fevered state. He stopped and threw up again, his eyes tearing up at the acid that was burning his throat. His knees buckled and he fell on them heavily, opening some of the old wounds that had not healed properly. He wanted to go back to sleep, but some inner voice kept telling him to go on. Using another tree as leverage, he managed to hoist himself back up to his feet. He winced as he fell onto the tree, the collar had not been removed and it dug into his skin painfully. The sounds were growing closer; he was almost there…just a little further.

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Superman's costume was ripped and burned in several places, while Darksied's face was swollen on one side and three of his fingers were probably broken. The fight had become more vicious, Darksied was taking whatever cheap shots he could and Superman was attempting to break his neck. Superman launched an uppercut at his enemy, while Darksied grabbed his head and slammed it into his knee. They both moved away from each other, breathing heavily and clutching at new wounds.

" You've gotten stronger, Kal-El." Darksied furrowed his brow. Yesterday he had thought he could've easily beaten Superman, but now, he wasn't sure if he could fight the ferocity of the Kryptonian.

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash walked in a zigzag line into the clearing. He stared intently at the black and blue blurs, wondering who they were.

" Flash!" The voice sounded familiar and so far away. The blue blur seemed to move towards him, but the black blur was faster. He felt a strong grip around his neck, lifting him up from the ground and moving him closer to the blue blur.

" I don't know how you're still alive, but I'll remedy that." A deep voice whispered into his ear.

" Put him down, Darksied!"

' Who is that?' Flash focused on the blue blur, which seemed to be hesitant to attack the man holding him.

" I think not Kal-El."

' Kal-El…whose that? Wait……isn't that…'

" Superman?" Flash whispered before Darksied could stop him. Superman could barely believe it, Flash was alive but for how long he didn't know. Darksied could easily make his lie into the truth, now that he had Flash's life dangling by a thread.

Darksied's mind was reeling. Only last night the Flash had been pronounced dead by one of the Talksh guards he had been given, now the younger man was choking in his arm, very much alive.

' The guard lied. That's the only explanation. He will pay." For now he focused on the most pressing matter, Kal-El.

**22222222222222222222222222**

Batman walked into the castle and turned his head towards the sound of Diana's gasp,

" Batman! Are you alright?"

" Fine." Diana's voice had attracted Lantern's attention as well as J'onn's.

" How did you get away?"

" Superman."

He gazed behind John at the new figure that had entered the room,

" Hello Batman." Shayera was dressed as Myusa was, but her hair and wings were now their original color. Batman gave her a curt nod and entered the room she had just left, the others following. Batman took a seat at the round table, Diana next to him, J'onn next to her, Lantern was last. This left one chair empty. Shayera stayed by the door, wanting to go and sit with them but being held back by Diana's stare.

" Are you going to help or not?" It was Batman who spoke, he pointed to the last chair, which Shayera took.

" Is Flash with Superman?" J'onn looked at Batman.

" He's dead or at least that's what Darksied told me." J'onn was the only one whose facial features did not change, all the others flashed anger and sadness. Diana stood up quickly, knocking her chair over as she rose,

" We need to find Superman."

" Clark wants to handle Darksied himself." Diana whirled around to face Batman,

" I don't care what he wants! We're a team and he's going to need our help." The others nodded in silent agreement, but Batman remained stoic.

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

" You're a coward. Hiding behind someone who's injured. Put him down and fight me!" Clark's shouts echoed in Flash's ears. The pressure around his neck eased and he felt himself being tossed through the air. Superman rose higher and caught him. Keeping his eyes on his enemy, Superman lowered Flash to the ground and laid him there.

" Come, Kal-El, Fight me."

" I'm not going to fight you Darksied. I'm going to kill you."

" We shall see."

" Yes, we will."

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**DAMN, SUPES IS MAAAADDDD!!! **

**KEEP REVIEWING!**


	12. Together

**DON'T OWN JL**

Darksied smiled at Superman, and then gazed down at Flash. Firing Omega beams at the unconscious hero, he fumbled with something behind his back. Superman flew down and scooped Flash up and away before the beams hit him, losing several inches of cape in the process. He moved Flash to a group of trees and flew back to face Darksied, who was clutching something behind his back.

" I have a gift for you, Kal-El." He tossed the object in the air, where it exploded, unleashing green shards and powder.

Superman began coughing as the kryptonite hit him. Instinctively he held his breath and landed on the ground,

" You're going to have to breathe sometime." Darksied laughed and began attacking the weakening Superman. Each blow became more painful as the shards fell around him. The maniac continued to beat the Man of Steel into the ground, laughing at Superman and kicking the green dust over him. Darksied moved back and watched Superman for a moment before warming up his eyes,

" This ends today, Kal-El." He fired his beams. It took him six seconds to realize that he had missed, well not missed, his target had moved. He screamed in anger when he saw that Flash was also gone.

" This is far from over."

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash ran until his legs gave out. He fell forward, letting go of Superman and rising to his feet to check on him,

" Supes?" He whispered, shaking him on the shoulder. Superman opened one eye and snarled, causing Flash to step away from him,

" What the hell did you think you were doing?" Superman forced himself up and gave Flash a hard shove. Wally winced but didn't say anything.

" You shouldn't have interfered! Damn it, Wally!" Flash staggered back, his breathing quickening,

" M'sorry, Clark." He fell forward and passed out. The anger Superman had been feeling vanished and it was replaced by worry. Clark turned Wally onto his back,

" Flash, wake up! Wally! C'mon…Damn it…" He clicked on his commlink,

" J'onn? Somebody answer!"

" Superman? What's the matter?" It was Diana.

" I need help with Flash." He listened to the gasp and muttering before continuing, " Yes, he's alive. I'm taking him to the castle, meet us outside." He clicked the device off before Diana could start asking more questions.

" God…I'm so sorry, Wally." J'onn was right; his hatred towards Darksied could destroy more then him. It could destroy his friends. He had been so angry with Bruce for pulling him away that he never realized that he had saved not only his life but also his code of honor. Now it was Flash who was pulling him back, back to reality, back to everything he believed in.

Clark landed outside of the castle, mentally cursing the rain and Darksied.

" Superman!" John came running up,

' Great. Now John's going to give me the third degree.' Relief was evident in John Stewart's eyes; although he looked stressed, it was obvious that he was completely and utterly relieved.

" Get him inside. Send Hawkgirl and Diana out, I'm going to need their help."

" You are not going back to face Darksied. J'onn needs to look you over." Superman deposited Flash into John's arms and shook his head,

" I know. But we have to have someone stand guard. Darksied won't stay in the forest forever."

" What about this?" He pointed to the collar and Superman pulled it off. John nodded and walked back into the castle.

" Diana! Shay! Superman needs your help." The two warriors opened their mouths to speak, but closed them with one glare from John.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Batman was wrapping up some of his cuts when John entered the room,

" You got any more of those?" Batman nodded and got up to help Lantern with Flash. J'onn came in with a large box and a worried look,

" Clerig's forces are being decimated, he can't spare any more medical equipment." Batman began pouring liquid into a needle,

" This should help with whatever's making him sick."

" So you have an idea of what might be effecting him?"

" At first I thought it was the planet itself but now I think that he may have had a cold before and something on this planet might've pushed it to a higher degree." John crossed his arms,

" He should've said something before we left."

" You know how fast he recovers from colds. He probably thought he would be fine by the time he got here."

" Still…"

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

" I'm fine, Diana. Please just listen, I need you to keep watch over the castle until we can get moving again." Only with his super-hearing could he hear Diana's suppressed growl,

" Once we know Flash is ok, I'm sure John will come out and relieve one of you." Shayera nodded and flew off to the south end,

" Look, Diana, I know you're mad at her but for now, just deal okay?" Superman limped into the castle.

**22222222222222222222222222222222**

Hawkgirl stood up on the highest tower of the castle and gazed into the distance,

" Shayera?" She turned to face the voice and found a hovering Wonder Woman in front of her,

" Diana." She replied stiffly. The events of last night were still fresh in her mind,

" I just wanted…to say…sorry."

" Sorry?"

" For everything I said last night. I was wrong and you didn't deserve it."

" Thank you." She moved over on the roof to allow Diana to stand next to her,

" Are you still going to leave once this is over?"

" I can't go back to Earth. I was actually thinking about leaving once I knew Flash was okay."

" Why?"

" He still doesn't know who I am, it was hard enough seeing all of you again…knowing I was going to leave after…it just been harder if Flash knew."

" I guess you heard about how he acted after you left the first time."

" Yeah, John told me. I don't want to put him through that again."

" What about John?" Shayera sat on the roof, her large wings covering her from the drizzle,

" I don't want to hurt him again, Diana, I love him. But I can't go back to Earth and he's assigned there and well…there are just so many reasons." Diana placed an arm on Shayera's shoulder, then changed the subject,

" You know if Wally finds out you were here and you didn't say high to him…he'll be mad……he is a red head after all."

Shayera laughed and flicked a strand of hair at Wonder Woman,

" Maybe I should."


	13. To Battle

" RETREAT!" The soldier yelled over the laser blasts and explosions. A younger soldier, maybe Flash's age, stumbled over a dead corpse and skidded along the ground.

" Lord Mitsha!" He cried out in despair as the looming figure came closer and closer. The man identified as Mitsha turned away from a small group of surviving warriors and ran towards the warrior,

" Jaka!" He dodged a blast and knelt down next to the struggling fighter, " Easy, Jaka, easy, I'll get you out of here."

The younger man turned his head to watch his comrades' retreat. More blasts fell and one landed near Mitsha knocking him over Jaka and knocking him unconscious,

" Lord Mitsha!" Jaka whispered, shaking his leader hard, " My lord, please wake up!" The older man did not stir as the troops began closing in. They were picking off any retreating soldiers they could find, their leader doing most of the picking.

" We have two more over there." The figure stopped and gazed down at the unconscious leader and the trapped soldier.

Jaka began shaking wildly as he saw the figure's eyes glow,

" You fought well. Be proud of that." Eternal darkness was what followed for the pair.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

" Batman will be upset that you are out of bed." J'onn held his arms out to catch the younger man in case he fell again,

" I know. But I'm feeling a lot better and if I don't get up and stretch…my legs are gonna make me pay later." He nearly fell over as Batman walked into the room. The Dark Knight said nothing as he walked past J'onn,

_Batman, what is the matter?_ J'onn connected their minds through a mental link, it was easy to see whatever was on his mind he did not want Flash to know.

_The others are going out with the warriors. Darksied is moving towards the castle, Clark wants to stop him before he gets here. _

_You are going to ask Flash to remain here then._

_He's not going to know we're gone._ Flash watched the pair, Batman was searching through a bag while J'onn was staring intently out of the window.

_He may be injured, but he does deserve to know our plans. _

_I know that. Clark doesn't want to have to explain to him why he can't come. _

_I'm sure he'll understand. _

_Fine. Hawkgirl doesn't want to see him yet, okay? _

_Oh. I see._

" Guys, I'm going to—" Batman whirled at Flash and brought himself face to face with the younger man,

" You are _going_ to stay here!" He snarled, jabbing his finger towards the floor. His face adding the silent message, 'and don't let me catch you anywhere else.'

Flash held up his hands and took a uncoordinated step back, " Whatever, Bruce."

**22222222222222222222222222222**

" Lord Clerig, news from the East post, sir!" Superman stepped aside to allow the rushed soldier access to his leader,

" Tell me."

" Lords Byrter and Mitsha are dead. At least 9 score are dead from yesterdays attacks."

A/N: A SCORE IS 20, I THINK 

" Dismissed." Clerig waved the man away and turned to face Clark, " We will not last long if this keeps up."

" Don't worry, Clerig. We will not allow Darksied to win."

" Of course. You and your friends have worked miracles for us in the past."

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Superman had his eyes narrowed and his arms folded as he watched his plan go down the drain. He knew Diana hadn't meant to tell Flash about the mission, but yet she had and now he needed to find Batman so he could scare Wally into staying at the castle.

" Fine! I'll stay! Geez, I would think that after five years…never mind…just go…helping the Aldrians is more important."

Batman stepped out of the room and nodded,

" Let's go."

**222222222222222222222222222222**

Darksied watched the holo-image with laughter, " Do they think that they can truly defeat me?" A guard standing next to the lord of Apokolips swayed nervously, unsure if he was supposed to answer or not.

" It is foolish, my lord."

" Did I tell you to speak?"

" N—no, my lord, you did not."

" Then keep silent until I say different!"

" Y…ye—s, Yes, my lord."

" Prepare my troops. Send platoons 1 through 6 to the castle. Bring me the Flash. Send the others to face the League I want only Kal-El alive."

" Yes, sir!"

Darksied laughed again. He would kill Kal-El this night and he would kill Flash for preventing him from earning his revenge earlier.

**222222222222222222222222222222**

SORRY FOR DA KINDA SHORT CHAPTER…I'M RUNNING LOW ON IDEAS, SO IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, LET ME KNOW!!!


	14. Clerig's Last Stand

I DON'T OWN JL. I OWN MY MADE UP CHARACTERS CUZ I MADE THEM UP!

Most of Clerig's forces waited outside with the rest of the League. Superman was still having a hard time figuring out the ranking system of the Aldrians. Apparently there were two types of Lords; one who was like a king and one who was like a general. The Lords meet in a hushed circle, discussing strategies before breaking off to lead their platoons. Superman and the others had went with the biggest platoon, who were waiting in a circle, reciting a small prayer,

" Holjat, our savior, hear us please,

As we go to fight our enemies

Myusa hear this for our sake

May they fall in our wake

If we fail, protect our families

As we fade and once again rejoin the trees."

Hawkgirl moved through the troops, awkwardly ignoring the stare and whispers. Flash was inside the caste with Clerig and the thirty other fighters who would stay to defend the home front. The head Lord moved in front of the fighters and shouted,

" MOVE OUT!" With practiced ease the troops began the trek into the forest. Several miles in, they encountered the advancing Talksh army. The League joined in the fighting while also keeping an eye out for Darksied.

" There!" Wonder Woman pointed over the heads of the fighting warriors to the tall shadowy figure advancing upon them. Superman broke away from the soldiers he was fighting,

" I got him." He launched himself at Darksied, his fist curled back for the blow. He swung it with his full force, emitting a cry of surprise when his fist slid through Darksied's head.

" Superman! He's a fake!" Batman yelled, pointing to the small metal box that was projecting the image.

" If he's a fake…then where's the real Darksied?" Several miles away a blast ripped through the walls of Clerig's castle.

**222222222222222222222222222**

Flash zoomed around, scooping up children and injured Aldrians away from the falling pieces of stone and rock.

" Lord Clerig! We are under attack!" The thirty soldiers who were left began running about, shouting orders,

" My Lord, we need to evacuate!"

" We do not have enough warriors to engage them!"

" What about the Earthling?"

" Take the women and children. Get them out of here."

" Here, give her to me." A pretty young nurse took the crying child from Flash's arms, running towards the other women who were being led out of the castle. Flash looked around and found Clerig and the fighters walking outside,

" We will fight to our last." Clerig said to his warriors, drawing his sword and standing boldly in front of them.

" Brave words. I have never heard a dead man speak like that." A voice responded.

" What? I am not—" Red beams shot out from the forest, striking Clerig in the heart, killing him instantly. Flash and the other warriors took a step back in shock. Talksh fighters emerged from the trees, charging at them, while the remainder of Clerig's force ran for them, determined to seek revenge for their leader's death. Flash, however, did not charge with them. He stood back, his eyes searching for whoever shoot the beams. He jumped into the air and ran away from the ground he had been standing on, watching smoke rise up from it in horror.

" You are fast. I will enjoy tearing off your legs." Darksied announced, walking out of the forest. Flash grinned,

" Gotta catch me first." He ran for Darksied, side stepping a laser and bringing a fist into his kidney at least twenty times before being forced back,

" Foolish child."

" Damn it! I am not a child!" He ran in a circle, landing blows and using his gusts to lift and toss Darksied away. AS he fell, Darksied kicked out with a foot, catching Flash in the chest. He tumbled backwards, clutching his ribs,

" You're almost as fast as Supes." A gust of wind and Darksied was standing in front of him,

" No, I am faster." He threw a punch, which Flash easily dodged,

" Trust me, Darksied, you're not."

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Batman tossed another unfortunate soldier over his head and glanced around,

" Superman! Take Hawkgirl and get back to the castle! We'll handle the rest!" Superman nodded and Hawgirl flew up to join him,

" Let's go."

**2222222222222222222222222222222**

Darksied moved back, wiping blood from his eye and panting hard,

" You give up yet?" Flash asked, leaning against a remain of a wall,

" I will not lose to the likes of you." Near him a soldier stumbled back from the fighting. Darksied grinned and grabbed him by the neck,

" You really enjoy your human shields, huh?" Flash joked half-heartedly. Darksied held tight to the struggling human, who was gurgling unhappily in his hands.

" Forfeit your life for his." The smile died on Flash's lips,

" That's not fair." Another soldier was hurled back and Darksied moved, before Flash could and placed a foot on his chest,

" Perhaps I don't like to play fair. Now give me your answer."

" I c—" A sharp crack cut Flash off and Darksied threw the corpse away from him with a relish. He smiled and began increasing the pressure on his other victim's chest,

" STOP!" Flash ran for Darksied, pushing him away from the human, " Get out of here!" He yelled at the soldier, pulling him up and shoving him away, " Go! Get everyone out of here!" The man nodded and ran off, shouting things in a language Flash couldn't understand but his companions did and so the clearing was empty, save for Darksied and Flash.

Darksied glared at Flash, " I guarantee you, that will not work again."

" News flash, Darksied. I'm not even using my full speed. I don't need it to beat you." He knew that was a lie, the only reason he wasn't using his full speed was because he couldn't. He was still feeling sick and running around in circles hadn't helped much.

" You're as good at lying as Kal-El is."

" Yeah…hey!…what?"

" The world will miss your intellect." He fired Omega beams, which struck Flash in the ankle, sending him to the ground,

" Like I never heard that before!" He hissed through clenched teeth. He pushed himself up but not before Darksied managed to get a hand on his shoulder. Darksied punched Flash in the stomach, forcing blood out of the younger man's mouth. He then placed his hands around Flash's throat, squeezing it slowly,

" I should have made sure you were dead before. I will correct that mistake. Kal-El cannot save you now." Flash kicked out wildly as his air supply was cut off. Darksied's face began to blur and grow darker.

" Darksied! Don't!" Superman flew into the clearing, Hawkgirl following him closely. Darksied did not release Flash until he was forced to block Superman's attack. He flung the body upwards and started to fight with the Man of Steel. Hawkgirl dove and caught Flash, landing on the ground, she laid him flat and began the same actions she had done to John many months earlier.

" Flash! Breathe!" Superman continued to fight with Darksied, somewhat distracted by Hawkgirl and Flash,

" You are too late Kal-El. He is dead and soon, you will be too."

A/N: I'VE MISSED MY CLIFFIES. SIGH… 


	15. Finally!

**THE LAST CHAPTER. DON'T OWN JL.**

Darksied flew around Superman and headed towards the frantic Hawkgirl,

" Shayera!" Hawkgirl's head snapped up and she grabbed Flash's arm, flying both of them away from Darksied,

" You should leave his body and worry about your life."

" Worry about your own!" Darksied turned to face the voice in time for Clark to crack his jaw. Rage was now controlling the Man of Steel. It was the same rage that he had faced when he had teamed up with Brainiac. Darksied thought he had seen Superman angry earlier but now he seemed overwhelmed by the uncontrolled fury. Superman was no longer bothering to contain his strength; he was fighting to win, fighting for revenge, aiming to kill. Hawkgirl, on the other hand, was desperately attempting to revive Flash,

" C'mon, Wally, I haven't had a chance to say hello yet." She reached for the battle rod that had replaced her battle mace. She was hesitant to use it. She knew it would work on a normal human but she couldn't be sure how someone with a different heart rate would react to it.

" Please." She whispered before holding the rod onto Flash's chest, she let it activate and watched as Flash was jerked up by the shock. Hawkgirl placed an ear to his chest and listened. A slow, quiet beat could be heard.

" Yes!"

" ughhhhh…."

" Stay still Flash, you're going to be okay."

" uhhhh…myushayera?"

" It's going to be alright." She repeated.

" Gahhhh!!!" Superman hit the tree and slid down it, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. With a growl, Shayera leaped into the air, swinging the rod like a bat into Darksied's face. He stumbled back but managed to fire Omega beams at her. She dodged them and flew back at Darksied, screaming her war cry. Darksied grabbed the end of her right wing and used her momentum to swing her into the rising Superman. Clark turned to the left so he would take most of the impact,

" Thanks." Superman gave her a small smile. Darksied laughed,

" I was hoping to kill you on Earth. For your entire pathetic race to see but I'm going to rip you apart here." He flew at them. Superman went right while Shayera flew forward, letting her rod cackle. She swung it one more time, gasping as he dodged it. Her gasp turned into a smile as she saw Superman's joined fist crashing down onto Darksied's head. A low snap could be heard as the Lord of Apokolips fell to the ground, his force showering the plants with dirt and soil. He did not rise.

" Remind me to thank Flash for slowing him down." At the mention of their fallen friend. Clark and Shayera landed on the ground next to him,

" He's okay, right?" She nodded,

" As long as you guys get him to the Tower soon."

" You mean as long as _we _get him to the Tower soon." Hawkgirl looked at him,

" Are you serious?"

" As serious as John and Batman combined." Hawkgirl grinned.

**2222222222222222222222222222222222222**

Flash slid one eye open and looked around. No stone walls or trees, only metal, no torches but bright fluorescent lights. They were back in the Tower.

" Ow." He pushed himself up and clasped his throat. He could feel the thick bruises and it was also very sore. " Damn." He was wearing a white tank top and gray sweatpants.

" You're up." John announced as he walked in the door,

" And you're smiling." John had a huge grin planted on his face,

" You nearly died."

" And you're _still _smiling." John dropped the grin,

" Sorry, kid."

" What happened?"

" Well, Clark beat Darksied. Clerig's successor, Barali, rounded up the last of the rebels, including Piltya."

" Oh…"

" You alright?"

" Yeah…it's just…Clerig…"

" He was a fighter. He knew the risks as we all do." Flash nodded,

" You're right. Still…none of those things seem grim enough to make you smile." John held up a hand,

" Hold on a sec." He walked out of the infirmary and was replaced by another figure,

" Hey Wally."

" Hawkgirl?" She smiled and pulled him into a hug,

" I _knew_ it was you."

" What do you mean?"

" Well, you and Myusa have the same type of temper." She laughed and punched him lightly on the arm.

" So…are you staying?" She moved back and looked down at him,

" There's going to be another vote."

" Another one?" She nodded,

" This time, it will include the world leaders." She walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of crutches, "Here, you'll be off that leg for about a week." She helped him out of the bed and they walked out of the infirmary together,

" What happened to Darksied?" Flash asked quietly, after a few moments of silence,

" Superman contacted High Father. He's back in Apokolips now."

" So Supes didn't finish him?"

" No." She stopped in front of a door, " Here you are."

" Don't worry Shay. We'll fight for you."

" I know."

**2222222222222222222222222222222222222**

" I'll go tell her." John announced, getting up from his seat and walking out of the somber room.

" Shay?" Hawkgirl turned away from the window she had been staring out of,

" John. Hey, how'd it go?" She asked, her wings shaking slightly. John pulled her into a hug and sighed deeply,

" They agree to let you back. With a few exceptions." Hawkgirl's shoulders drooped and she buried her face deeper into John's chest,

" At least I have you."

" You have all of us. If you want to stay." Shayera smiled into his shoulder,

" I want to come back. I want to come home."

**22222222222222222222222222222222222222**

**THE END. YAY SHAY IS BACK BUT THE HOMECOMING WON'T BE SO EASY. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE SEQUEL. **

**WITH HATRED TOWARDS HAWKPEOPLE STILL LINGERING AND THE GROWING DISTRUST OF THE LEAGUE MOUNTING. WILL SHAYERA BE ABLE TO LEAD A NORMAL LIFE WITH THE ANTI-META HUMAN FACTION ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY HER AND THE REST OF THE LEAGUE?**


End file.
